Burglars Posed As Cops To Raid Woman's Home, Take Off With $10,000

A heavily-tattooed suspect, accompanied by a man in a face mask, reportedly masqueraded themselves as cops to break into the home of a horrified female Queens resident before proceeding to shackle her, taking off with at least US$10,000 on Saturday.

The impersonators, one donning a short-sleeved blue T-shirt with a genuine-looking NYPD logo on its rib cage, allegedly rang the doorbell of an unnamed 27-year-old woman’s home close to Woodhaven Boulevard and Doran Avenue in Glendale at 1:05 a.m. on Saturday, reported the New York Post.

The men allegedly introduced themselves to the shocked woman as police officers, saying they were searching for her boyfriend.

Surveillance footage from the victim's flat showed the men subsequently restraining and handcuffing the woman before burglarizing her apartment. After taking almost US$10,000 from the victim's home, the duo fled in a dark Ford Mustang, police officers said.

The same modus operandi was reportedly used in a robbery that took place in October last year, with men dressed as police officers targeting seniors in a Chicago neighborhood, reported CBS News.

A similar incident occurred in November of the same year. Video footage of the crime shows a home invasion in a posh Bronx district with the burglars dressed as NYPD officers forcing themselves inside a couple's home before proceeding to tie them up and stealing US$130,000 worth in cash and jewels, according to NBC New York.

Home invasions are reportedly infrequent, but countless thieves undertake home robberies at some point in their illegal professions, according to research by the ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. In one study, only about 21 percent of armed burglars reported having raided a home, with the most common robbery locations being gas stations and fast-food restaurants.